Listening
by Kristen3
Summary: Daphne is unprepared for her boss' anger when she offers to introduce an acquaintance to her favorite radio personality. Luckily, another member of the Crane family is more than willing to comfort her.
1. Chapter 1

Daphne walked toward the bus stop, glad that she had a few minutes before the bus came. She'd spent the afternoon catching up with a couple of girlfriends. It was such a relief now and then to get away from the Cranes, and just be able to talk to someone. Though she enjoyed working for Dr. Crane and looking after his father, there were times when she felt she might scream if she spent one more minute with them.

She made her way into the bus shelter, surprised to find someone else waiting there. It was a woman, and she was staring at the ad on the back of the bus shelter. It was an advertisement for _The Dr. Frasier Crane __Show_. The image of Daphne's boss was displayed across the sign, along with his famous catchphrase, "I'm listening!" in huge letters.

"Hello," Daphne said, smiling at her.

The woman tore her gaze away from the ad. "You probably think I'm weird, right? I listen to Dr. Crane's show every day, but I never knew what he looked like before. I figured he had to be handsome, but...wow. I never expected that!" She pointed to the sign.

Daphne barely held back a giggle. _You should see him first thing in the morning_, she thought.

"What's so funny?"

"Well, it's just that this is such an odd coincidence. You see, I work for Dr. Crane."

A look of surprise came on the woman's face. "You mean, at the radio station. Roz Doyle, right?" She held out her hand.

Daphne blushed. "No. But Roz is me girlfriend. I work for Dr. Crane at his home. I'm a physical therapist, and I help take care of Dr. Crane's father."

"You mean you _live_ with him? Wow! Oh, by the way, my name's Andrea."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Daphne."

"So, Daphne, is Dr. Crane always as smart as he seems on his show? I bet you can get advice from him anytime you want!"

Once again, Daphne had to hold back a laugh. Getting Dr. Crane to give advice was never the problem. More than once Daphne had tuned out when her boss launched into a speech on one topic or another. "I guess, living with Dr. Crane, I sort of forget how famous he is." _Though he never fails to remind me_, she thought.

"So, is Dr. Crane seeing anybody?" Andrea asked, looking around nervously. "Wait, what am I saying? A guy like him could never be single!"

"Well, he isn't as lucky with women as you'd think. But I can introduce you if you'd like. I'm on me way home right now."

"Seriously?!" Andrea asked. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Sure, why not?" Daphne couldn't quite say why, but she liked this woman.

As if on cue, the bus arrived, and the two boarded. Unfortunately, there were a lot of passengers already on the bus, and the noise level prevented further conversation. Minutes later, the bus arrived at its next stop, which happened to be directly in front of Elliot Bay Towers. Daphne stood up, and Andrea followed suit.

They both got off the bus, and Daphne turned to her new friend. "Come on. It's this building."

"Wow. This is Dr. Crane's building? I can't believe it! Maybe he stood on this very spot that I'm standing on right now!"

Daphne ignored the comment. "He's probably getting ready to go to the station, but at least you can chat with him for a minute or two."

Feeling a rush of excitement, Andrea followed her. They entered the building, and Daphne pressed the elevator button for the 19th floor. The whole time they rode up in the elevator, Andrea was in a state of disbelief. "I'm standing in the actual elevator that Dr. Crane rides in every day! I can't believe this!"

A nervous smile came onto Daphne's face. Andrea's enthusiasm was getting to be a bit much. But she'd promised her friend an introduction, and she knew she couldn't back out now. Fortunately, the elevator stopped, and they found themselves right outside the door. Daphne crossed the hall and opened the door with her key.

"Oh, hello, Daphne. Do you remember what I did with that book on phobias that Niles lent me? I wanted to look something up for today's show," Frasier said when he saw her enter.

"Wow. You really are Dr. Frasier Crane!" Andrea exclaimed. He was even more handsome in person

"Who is this?" Frasier asked.

Daphne sensed an awkward silence. "This is me new friend, Andrea. We just met on the bus. She's quite a fan of your show!"

Frasier went into "celebrity mode" immediately. "Well, it's always nice to meet a devoted listener!" He walked over to Andrea, extending his hand.

Andrea blushed as they shook hands. "I'm actually shaking Dr. Crane's hand. This is amazing! I just moved to Seattle a few months ago, and it was your show that help me get over my homesickness. Ever since then, I've been listening every day. The way you help people is just so inspiring!"

"Thank you. That's always nice to hear. I must admit I'm not really accustomed to meeting listeners in my home." He glanced at Daphne, letting her know that he was not pleased. "But as long as you're here, let me give you my autograph. It's the least I can do for one of my listeners. If it weren't for them, I'd be talking to myself for three hours! And, really, who would want to hear that?" He laughed.

"I think I would," Andrea said shyly. She watched as he went to find a piece of paper and a pen.

"Andrea, was it?" Frasier asked, pen in hand. The sooner he signed this autograph, the sooner this strange woman would be on her way. Andrea nodded, and Frasier wrote furiously. He practically shoved the small scrap of paper at her. "There you go. Have a nice day!" He smiled at her, but still did his best to let her know that he didn't want her hanging around.

Andrea looked at the piece of paper in her hand. _To Andrea, I'm listening! - Dr. Frasier Crane_ "Wow, thanks! At least if I start to wonder later on if this actually happened, I'll have some proof. Thanks for doing this for me, Daphne. One minute, I'm staring at an ad on a bus shelter like some weirdo, and the next, I'm meeting one of the smartest men on the radio!"

"My pleasure," Daphne said with a smile. She watched as Andrea walked out of the apartment toward the elevator. She could hardly take her eyes off the autograph she'd been given.

Once Andrea was gone, Frasier returned his attention to his father's healthcare worker. "What were you thinking? I'm not really in the habit of letting my listeners know where I live! Just because someone happens to mention my show, you think, 'Oh, let me bring her home to meet him?' How do you know she wasn't some sort of lunatic, Daphne?"

Daphne knew her boss might've been a bit annoyed at Andrea's unexpected visit, but she'd never expected him to be _this _angry. "I'm sorry, Dr. Crane. But she was staring at the ad for your show. She kept going on about how smart you were, and how much she loves your show. I just thought the least I could do was introduce her. I had no idea you would be so upset!" Much to her frustration, she could feel tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Just then, the door opened. "Oh, good, you haven't left yet. I was hoping you were done with that book I lent you yesterday," Niles said. Then he noticed the tension in the air, and, more importantly, the tears which were now running down Daphne's cheeks. "What's going on?"

"Daphne made a new friend on the bus who happens to listen to my show. So, without any warning whatsoever, she brings this strange woman here! This is my home, for God's sake. Out there, I'm famous," he said pointing out the window, towards the skyline of Seattle. "But this is supposed to be off-limits to strange people. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear earlier, Daphne, but I thought it was understood!"

The anger in her boss' eyes frightened Daphne. "I'm so sorry. I just wanted to do something nice for her, after the way she kept going on about your bloody show!"

Niles could no longer stand the sight of his beautiful angel in tears. He walked over to her, gently squeezing her hand. "Don't cry, Daphne. Let me just have a word with Frasier in private, and I'll get this whole thing straightened out in no time." He smiled at her, hoping it would cheer her up.

Daphne was grateful for the sweet way the younger Dr. Crane was stroking her hand. Suddenly, she began to feel the tiniest bit better.

Frasier sighed in frustration. He glanced at his watch. "I guess Roz has already started playing _The Best of Crane_. I better get down there while I've still got a show to save!"

Niles looked at his brother in shock and anger. "You're going to just walk out of here after treating Daphne that way? Can't you see how distraught she is? I think your listeners won't mind hearing a repeat of your show for one day. The least you can do is apologize!"

"Apologize?" Frasier asked. "What for?" When no one answered, he sighed again. "I really should get going. Kenny's probably fuming by now!"

Before Niles could object again, his brother had stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him. As disappointed as he was in Frasier's lack of compassion, he knew that his first priority had to be taking care of Daphne. "Are you all right?"

Daphne nodded, wiping a few stray tears off her cheeks. "I had no idea your brother would get so angry! He made me feel like a disobedient child, just the way me mum used to make me feel when I was a little girl."

"Well, he had no right to speak to you that way. I think it was very kind of you to let your friend meet Frasier. I'm sure she was thrilled."

Once again, Daphne nodded, remembering the way Andrea had seemed to be on cloud nine as she'd walked out of the apartment. But still, she could hear her boss' angry words echoing in her mind. The tears she'd thought were finished came back.

"Sh," Niles whispered, hugging her tightly. "I'll talk to Frasier as soon as his show is over. I'll get him to apologize if it's the last thing I do!"

Daphne could hardly believe how kind Dr. Crane was. It was a welcome contrast to the way his brother had treated her just moments ago. "Thank you, Dr. Crane. What would I ever do without you?"


	2. Chapter 2

Niles returned from the kitchen, carrying a tray containing a cup of tea. "Here you are, Daphne." He set it on Frasier's coffee table. He desperately hoped the drink would calm her.

"Thank you, Dr. Crane." Daphne smiled at him gratefully. She was no longer as upset as she'd been earlier, but she was enjoying the way Dr. Crane was taking care of her.

Niles looked at his watch. "I imagine Frasier's show is just about over by now. I could take you over to the station if you like."

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. I have a feeling he's still rather angry with me," Daphne said as she sipped her tea.

Niles gave her a comforting smile. "I'm sure he's cooled off some. The longer you wait to speak to him, the harder this will be. I promise you, everything will be just fine."

"I suppose you're right," Daphne said. "Let's go." She stood up, taking his hand.

Minutes later, they sat in Niles' car, parked outside KACL. "I don't know about this," Daphne said, glancing nervously up at the floor where she knew Dr. Crane's studio was.

"I'll be right beside you the whole time."

Seeing Dr. Crane's smile made Daphne feel much better. "All right. Let's go, then."

Niles and Daphne entered the building and made their way toward the studio. They met Frasier just as he exited his booth.

"Daphne, I don't know what to say," Frasier began as they walked up. "Listening to my callers' problems made me think that maybe I could've been a bit more understanding. How can I offer advice to my listeners, when I can't even handle things within my own family?"

Daphne smiled. She hadn't expected Dr. Crane to apologize so quickly. "That's all right. I suppose I could've told Andrea to meet you at the cafe, or brought her by the apartment another time."

Frasier walked over to Daphne, hugging her warmly. "I'm glad we got this settled. I'll see you at home."

Niles watched as his brother walked back toward the escalator. The relief on Daphne's face was visible. When he realized she was looking at him, he felt his heart race. He'd kept his feelings quiet for so long, but something told him now was the time to speak. "Daphne, may I tell you something?"

"Of course, Dr. Crane. You can tell me anything."

Niles led her to a corner of the hallway where they would have at least a bit of privacy. "I can't tell you how I felt when I heard Frasier speaking to you so harshly. I just knew I had to do everything I could to fix the situation. I don't know what I'd do if he sent you away."

Daphne smiled at his sweet words. "I was rather upset with your brother, but you made me feel much better. I can't thank you enough."

Niles caressed her cheek. "It was my pleasure, Daphne. I love you." His words came out in a barely-audible whisper. Before he could stop himself, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

The kiss took Daphne by surprise. But it was the sweetest kiss she'd ever received. All of the stress and anger from earlier melted away. "I never knew you felt this way. But you've always been such a wonderful friend. You've made me feel so safe and warm. I feel like I could stay right in your arms for the rest of me life."

With a contented sigh, Niles took her in his arms. He could hardly breathe as he took in the scent of her perfume. "You can, Daphne. You can stay here as long as you want." As he continued to hold the woman he loved, Niles made a mental note to thank his brother. For Daphne's heart was surely the most wonderful thing he'd ever held onto.

**The End**


End file.
